Robert G. Moore, Senior Pastor
Something is happening at Christ the King Church that has not happened in a long time: a solid group of middle school and high school age youth have been meeting on Wednesday evenings and participating in other activities during the summer months. We have known for several years that the time was coming that the larger number of children would become adolescents. Our efforts to reorganize around that impending reality has resulted in stronger commitments from leaders in the congregation who are making sure that the re-organization happens. Council members Brannon Lloyd and Susan Uri have taken the lead. Cindi Scruggs, Lucky Sahualla, Woody Woods, Barbara Scott, and the parents of our youth have contributed strongly to the ongoing growth.
It was Brannon Lloyd who insisted that we continue the summer youth intern program with Texas Lutheran University. The council could have let that connection drop had it not been for Brannon and Susan Uri’s insistence that we needed a summer youth intern. The council voted the funding, and several months later Tim Lenz, junior at TLU, reported for duty. Tim has done a great job inviting the youth to gather on Sundays and Wednesdays. He has also led their efforts at fund raising and organizing trips together. He was an able leader at confirmation camp with a record number of eight confirmands. Tim, who values the liturgical life of our congregation, has served in the liturgy and embodied the fuller meaning of service in our youth ministry by leading in worship. I am grateful to Tim and his work with us, and I wish him the very best as he discerns his vocation during these years of preparation.
A very significant advance made thus far has been reorganizing our education effort. You may recall that we asked Pastor Warpmaeker to step into the coordinating role to help ensure that we reorganize and expand youth and family, campus and young adult, as well as adult ministries. Pastor Warpmaeker’s departure left us without the staff coordinator, but the direction and movement of our ministries did not falter. In fact, we have continued to show marked signs of development.
Wednesday evening programming, Sunday Church School, and the summer youth program, Crossways Bible Study, Godly Play, Faith Chest ministries, preschool program, music education, and food ministry have continued to strengthen without a director. At the same time the leaders in these areas have not eased up on the demand that such a director be found.
I could not be more pleased that Pastor Kathy Haueisen has accepted the call of our congregation to help integrate the work of expanding our ministries. Pastor Haueisen’s job title is Director of Faith Formation. I like this title because it is all-inclusive and it expresses that education in the church has to be more than entertainment. Education must be formative of our development as disciples of Jesus Christ. As Lutheran Christians we know that we ourselves cannot cause faith, but our life in the Body of Christ includes everyday decisions which affect how the faith takes shape.
Pastor Haueisen will take the directorship of the Melanchthon Institute which, like all Christian education efforts, has the task to assist the faithful in discerning their vocation as God calls us through the gospel to do the work that the Holy Spirit equips us to do. Pastor Haueisen will help us bring every aspect of our ministry in coordinated purposeful direction as we strive to do our part in the mission of Christ’s church.
Christ the King Lutheran Church welcomes three leaders in the music area. Dr. Albert LeDoux, Jonathan Wohlers, and Debbie Whitmire will join with Caryn Wilson and Kelly DeVany in our music ministry. Music is as formative a medium in discipleship as any other. The youngest preschooler and the oldest person in our congregation are formed in the faith as they sing with and as they listen to the music of our vocal choirs, brass choir, and the Bach Organ.
I invite you to support the ministries of the congregation and our leaders—staff and laypersons—through your prayers and in your involvement. Hold on to your hats! It’s going to be another great year at Christ the King Lutheran Church.